Circulation & Transport

One of the key questions in any accidental or natural release of oil into the ocean is: Where will it go? WHOI scientists have amassed a detailed understanding of currents and can monitor or model surface and deep-sea movement of oil in the ocean over time and at a range of physical scales.

Mapping and Characterizing an Underwater PlumeDeepwater Horizon, 2010
Principal Investigator: Rich CamilliWHOI scientists deployed the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry equipped with a compact, underwater mass spectrometer to identify and map the chemical plume spreading from the blown-out oil well. The techniques they used were developed at WHOI to find hydrothermal vents and underwater volcanoes.

Mapping Gulf CurrentsDeepwater Horizon, 2010
Principal Investigator: Breck OwensIn the weeks after the Gulf oil spill started, WHOI scientists and their colleagues deployed an autonomous underwater vehicle called a Spray glider to map currents in the Gulf of Mexico from June to August. These measurements helped predict the spread of the oil at and beneath the surface and to alleviate fears that the oil would spread far beyond the Gulf.

Calculating Flow RateDeepwater Horizon, 2010 Principal Investigators: Rich Camilli, Andy Bowen
In the early weeks after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drill rig, estimates of how much oil was pouring into the Gulf varied widely. A reliable figure was crucial to helping everyone involved in battling the spill understand what they were up against.